


Rumble

by cannibalcake



Category: Avatar (TV), Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, Gen, Humor, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-18
Updated: 2014-09-18
Packaged: 2018-02-17 21:51:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2324411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cannibalcake/pseuds/cannibalcake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Ultimate of Earth Rumbles</p><p>Takes place about 20 years after ATLA.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rumble

The crowd went wild as another man’s body flew through the air and landed with a crunch. Sokka let out a, “WHOOP!” so startlingly loud Mai almost made a face.

“I told you this was the guy! I knew it!” Sokka beamed.

Zuko’s eyes were still glued to the ring, his enthusiasm, while probably equal to Sokka’s was instead contained in aborted movements mimicking those of the fighters and a flash of a wicked grin for the really good hits. “You could be right. He’s amazing. It’s all about the final round, though.”

Katara gave a long suffering sigh, silently thanking the spirits when the new earthbender was introduced as the last competitor. Aang had been there to distract her the last two years of this, but ever since Tenzin had launched himself ten feet in the air with a sneeze, her husband couldn’t be separated from his airbending progeny, and she refused to allow her children anywhere near this barbarity.

Another resounding THWACK signaled the quick end of the current round. The crowd was on its feet hollering and screaming. The young man left in the ring, having secured his victory against his last ten opponents, allowed himself a brief smile before his face fell into an expression of terrified awe when two bare feet stepped onto the dirt.

Incoherent howling started to become a steady chant from the stands, Sokka being one of the first to join into the frantic, “TOPH! TOPH! TOPH!” Zuko contributed with a more subdued fist pump, while Mai quirked a corner of her mouth. Even she’d come to enjoy the final rounds. She could admit Toph was entertaining if nothing else.

The crowd quieted at Toph’s signal. She stepped forward and bellowed, “THIS IS THE FINAL ROUND! YOU KNOW THE RULES! ALL HE HAS TO DO IS SURVIVE TWO MINUTES IN THE RING WITH ME!” Cheers erupted once more.

It had been decided initially that while the final contender should be able to face off with Toph, making them have to beat her would be impractical. After all, the point was for there to be a winner, and even with the two minute rule, the past two years had only seen the competitors fall in that final round.

An hourglass was turned, and it began. Silent tension filled the arena. The guy was definitely smart. He stood stock still, knowing he could buy himself more time by forcing her into the first move. The only sign it was coming was a tiny movement of Toph’s eyebrow, and the assault started.

Managing to dodge the first few patches of ground, he got his own shot in before a boulder thumped against his shoulder loud enough to force grimaces from many audience members. A slab of earth skimmed Toph’s toes.

“Got some moves on you, there, Stud! Maybe it’ll be a good night for me after all,“ she called, earning several hoots from the crowd. Her opponent took advantage of her bravado to shoot a barrage of rocks toward her, but she twisted and jumped, landing with a quake that sent a block of earth up from under him. Toph sighed in disappointment as he went flying.

In a last, desperate move, the man sent up a sheet of rock at the edge of the ring, blocking his trajectory. A sickening CRACK resonated as his body met the obstruction, then a quieter thud as he hit the ground. Silence. Katara gasped in horror. Zuko’s eyes went wide, Sokka made a prolonged, muted, “oooooooohhhhhh” sound, and Mai leaned slightly forward. Toph herself had gone still inside the ring.

The body on the ground shifted and emitted a groan. “TIME!” shouted a voice and the cries rose to deafening levels.

“HE DID IT! HE DID IT! HE DID IT!” Sokka was now shaking a smiling Zuko back and forth with one hand, Earth Rumble Snack Mix flying everywhere from the other. Katara was already making her way toward the ring.

Toph helped her opponent to his feet, and he gazed at her with adoration from the one eye that wasn’t swelling shut. Everyone was quiet again, focused on her.

“CONGRATULATIONS, STUD!” her voice rang out.

“Actually, my name is….” he began weakly, but the rest was lost as a tooth came loose in his mouth and he had to spit it out with a glob of blood.

Toph continued, unfazed. “YOU ARE THE FIRST EVER WINNER OF DADDY RUMBLE! THE ULTIMATE COMPETITION! YOU ARE THE FIRST WHO HAS PROVEN HIMSELF WORTHY TO FATHER A CHILD OF TOPH BEIFONG, GREATEST EARTHBENDER IN THE WORLD!”

As the crowd went crazy once more, Toph turned. “You’re up, Katara! Heal him up and send him to my room.” She grinned.

Katara took the weight of the barely conscious man and scowled. “I would like to reiterate that this is a completely inappropriate use of spirit water.”

“Listen, Sugar Queen, when I came to you three years ago and said I wanted to have a baby, You said you’d do WHATEVER you could to support me.”

Katara sighed and dragged the man away.

 

XXXXXXX  
FIFTEEN YEARS LATER

 

“….and that’s how I met your father,” Toph finished triumphantly.

Lin glared at her mother in exasperation. “But who is he?”

Toph smirked. “Dunno…never got a good look at him.”

“MOM!”

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Avatar fic. Indeed, I have only become a fan of the show in the past month, so constructive criticism is great. I kind of just wanted to add my own contribution to the Toph baby daddies theories. Particularly let me know if I've woefully misrepresented a character or accidentally defied the laws of canon.


End file.
